Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure

Ecuador and Galapagos Adventure

Highlights: Quito and the Galapagos Islands
You will arrive in Ecuador and visit the historic town of Quito exploring its colonial old town before flying to the wildlife paradise of Galapagos Islands splitting your time between Santa Cruz and Isabela.

Day 1: Arrival in Quito
Upon arrival of your flight you will be picked up at the airport by a private car and transferred to your hotel, La Casona de la Ronda, where you will spend the next 2 nights in Quito.

The Heritage Boutique Hotel is located in one of the oldest Spanish houses in the city called “Las Corralas” originally built in 1738 at the Quito Historic Center. Ecuador has history, fascinating indigenous cultures, slow winding rivers and lush tropical forests, spectacular snowcapped volcanoes and some of the most exciting wildlife on earth.

Quito, Ecuador

Day 2: History and architecture in Quito
Today you will tour the city of Quito and the place to start is Colonial Quito: a city of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls and, rising above, the steeples and cupolas of the city´s many spectacularly decorated historic churches. The city has one of the best preserved colonial centers in all of South America and its integrity was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared Quito a World Cultural Heritage site.

You will walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including La Compañía, and the San Francisco Monastery which was begun 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534. You will also visit the city’s most famous colonial street, La Ronda, where you will learn about traditional work in Colonial Quito.

Day 3: From Quito to Santa Cruz
This morning you will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight to Baltra. This tiny island was a military base during the Second World War and hosts the Islands’ principal airport. The airport was built using the most advanced environmental techniques to reduce emissions and energy use, some of which you’ll notice as you walk through the facility. This was the first ecological airport in the world.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

You will enter the airport through a special VIP lounge where you will have a chance to change clothes, put on some sunscreen and get a cool drink before being transferred to the Itabaca Channel to explore its spectacular turquoise waters. You will have a chance to kayak, snorkel and stand up paddleboard (SUP), as well as encountering some of the most famous Galapagos wildlife such as blue-footed boobies, sea lions, brown pelicans, a variety of herons and white-tipped reef sharks.

There’s no better introduction to the Galapagos than to get on the water as soon as possible! You will glide through beautiful red mangrove forests and along lava rock cliffs on water so clear you can see the marine life in the shallows. The ocean (sit on top) kayaks come in doubles or singles, and life jackets are provided. A support boat will escort you throughout the water activities to ensure safety and to provide water, snacks and towels between activities.

From the Itabaca Channel you will head up to the Santa Cruz highlands to a private reserve that borders the National Park where you can see the famous Giant Tortoises roaming in the wild. You will spend the night at Finch Bay Eco Hotel.

Day 4: Bartolomé Island
This morning you will embark the motor yacht and enjoy a day excursion with welcoming crew members and knowledgeable naturalist guide experiencing the remote islands in comfort and style.
After breakfast you will head back to Itabaca Channel to continue the National Park and Marine Reserve exploration. The yacht will take you to Bartolome Island which offers one of the most dramatic views in the Galapagos Islands. A 600 – meter pathway takes visitors to the highest point of the island where you will learn from the expert naturalist guide about the volcanic origins of the Galapagos. After the walk, a dingy ride along the coastline will give you the opportunity to see the Galapagos penguin. These curious birds nest amongst fissured lava flows and ventures into the crystal-clear waters of Bartolome.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 5: Santa Cruz
The Charles Darwin Research Center is the matrix of all the scientific researches in the Galapagos Islands. It is from these headquarters from where all the most sensitive conservation projects are being directed.

The conservation and preservation of giant tortoises, marine iguanas among others are some of the examples of the Center labor. You can walk along the core of the Research Center where you can find the corrals where the giant tortoises are being breed as well as the corrals where the land iguanas are being studied. The research facility offers a brand new Interpretation Center with some of the most important samples of the center’s collection.

After walking through a deciduous forest for 1.5 miles you will reach one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. You will continue walking along this white sand beach for another half mile until reaching the Playa Mansa where you can enjoy a special kayaking ride around the Bay.

Day 6: From Santa Cruz to Isabela Island
Today you will take an early morning public speedboat to Isabela Island where you will check into our hotel, Iguana Crossing. Your adventure begins with a tour of the Tintoreras, a group of small islands close to the town of Puerto Villamil. The islands are named  after  the  white tipped ‘Tintoreras’ reef sharks that swim in these calm waters.

At Tintoreras you will see almost all the archipelago’s iconic wildlife: white-tipped reef sharks, sea  lions, turtles, rays, penguins, and of course pelicans and blue footed boobies. This is a Galapagos in miniature! After walking on the island, you will have a chance to snorkel in the bay. Don’t be surprised if some of the penguins or sea lions jump  in  to  play alongside you in the water!

In the afternoon you will hike the Wetlands Trail, where you can see marine  iguana colonies and a number of different types of mangrove trees (all four species can  be seen here) as well as enjoying the network of trails, beaches and historic sites. At the end of the trail is the ‘Wall of Tears’, built in the late 1940’s by Second World War prisoners held at the former US base on the island.

The guide will explain the importance of the Wall, giving you a glimpse into the lives of the island’s previous inhabitants. On this network of trails you will enjoy some beautiful views of the village below and have the chance to see birds, and maybe even some wild giant tortoises.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 7: Isabela
Volcanic eruptions created all the Galapagos Islands, and you will have a chance to see this geologic process first-hand as you explore Isabela, one of the archipelago’s youngest and most volcanically active islands.

You will start by hiking up the crater of the massive Sierra Negra Volcano, and then onward to the rim of the Volcan Chico. This fascinating walk usually begins with some morning fog and drizzle, which sometimes persists in the shadow of the volcano, adding to its mysterious character. Despite the drizzle, you may see Galapagos Hawks, finches, flycatchers and Short Eared Owls en route.

When you reach the rim of the Sierra Negra crater, the second largest in the world after the Ngorongoro in Tanzania, you will see the reward for your efforts. The crater is  so large, and the views so expansive, photos can’t do it justice, but bring your binoculars and camera anyway!

Later, as you head towards Volcan Chico, you may get the feeling you are walking on Mars due to the alien landscape. And while the land appears to be utterly desolate, a closer look will reveal small lizards scurrying about among the rocks. From the crater’s rim, you will enjoy more amazing views along with lava tubes and fumaroles.

After Volcan Chico and its extreme landscape, you will be able to relax in the shade of a lovely “jaboncillo” tree, and enjoy the lunch box while taking in the spectacular and expansive views over the central and northern parts of the Island. In the distance you will be able to see Fernandina, Pinzon and Santa Cruz Islands. You will then head back down to complete your day of hiking (10 miles total) and relax at the beaches of Puerto Villamil.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Day 8: Isabela
The day starts with a visit to Roca Unión, a small island full of life, where you will snorkel amid clouds of brightly-colored fish and watch sea lions and blue footed boobies from the surface.

At Turtle Cove, a secret spot used by fishermen, that today is considered one of the island’s major attractions, there are plenty of opportunities to snorkel through a maze of small islands and arches (and for the experts, tunnels) in  the company of fish, sea turtles and occasional white tipped sharks and rays.

There are more opportunities to snorkel with sea turtles at Finado, and from our boat out on the open water, the chance to watch sea turtles and manta rays against a background of varied coastal beaches and rocky shores where sea turtles nest.

Day 9: From Isabela back to Quito and back home
Today you will be picked up and transferred to the airport for your flight to Quito. Upon arrival you will connect with your international flight back home.